Summer of '09
by maz3mind
Summary: A few months after her traumatic experience with the Beldam, Coraline looks foward to some R&R during the summer break. But after a young boy goes missing, Coraline and her new friends might be a little busy during this vacation. Reviews are appreciated!
1. Lauren

The scenery outside of Ashland Middle was like a post-card. The big orange sun was the only thing that lingered in the deep blue sky, the heavy green oaks swayed with the tender breeze. Weather so perfect was odd for Ashland, Oregon even during the summer. Kids dashed down the road home, or to their bikes, or their bus stops or wherever their hearts desired because for the next two and a half months, school was over. For Coraline Jones, summer couldn't have come sooner. Everything had gone downhill since she moved from Michigan; mostly in the first couple of days between rescuing her parents from pure evil and adjusting to a new life in a new state. She didn't want to think about the "other" mother, she just wanted to finally see her old friends and introduce some new friends as well, "new friends" meaning only one friend.

Wybie Lovat was strange, awkward, and sometimes even annoying. He would irritate Coraline with his uncanny comments before, during and after school while hardly noting a word she ever said to him. When he wasn't blabbering about he would stalk her on weekends, instead of simply knocking on the door and saying "can Coraline come out to play?" which was what normal people did.

Oddly enough, Wybie had hardly uttered a word to her at all during school. For the last few weeks he had been hoarding her with questions discussing how they would spend the summer together, which was what she was expecting on the last day of school. Instead he seemed more aloof and distant around her, as if focused on something else. Out of concern, she hung about the school yard to see if she could catch Wybie before he left campus and chat with him. It didn't take long until he showed up at the bike rack and hopped on his bicycle. Coraline hurried toward him, as he appeared to be in a rush, and called out his name.

"Hey, Wybie!"

The boy looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of the bike railings.

"Hey Jonsey. Listen, I'm actually in a hurry right now so I'll see you later."

"In a hurry for what?" Coraline intruded curiously as her friend attempted to ride on ahead of her.

"I promised my friend I would help her out. Her little brother went missing a few days ago."

"Oh."

"Hey, I know! Why don't you come help us? I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Suddenly, Coraline wished she had kept her mouth shut. All she wanted to do was meet up with her friends without worrying about missing children, or parents, or anything that would remind her of what happened when she moved down from Pontiac.

"Hmmm…how old is he?"

"Four."

Drat! At that moment her conscious kicked in and now she had no choice. Then again, it shouldn't be too much of a setback. The most she would probably do was print out some flyers and hang them around town, and her friends weren't flying over until next week. Since she had nothing better to do until then, Coraline squeezed herself on the bike seat with her friend. When she had made herself comfortable, Wybie kicked the bike into gear and made a right as he exited the school gates.

"_That's inconvenient."_ Coraline said to herself, as they usually made a left to go home. After a few feet down the road, Wybourne made a couple of turns down a heavily wooded road lined with tall, emerald trees. The path, while unfamiliar, was perfect for strolling about. The summer sun seeped between the elongated branches and a soothing breeze drifted along with the bike while the sound of birds tweeting echoed throughout the forest. Down the way, Coraline noted some bunnies and squirrels scampering around. The scene reminded her of a fairytale forest, as she half expected the woodland creatures to burst into song.

"Where does your friend live, anyway?"

"Not too far from our school, but she attends the campus across the street from us."

"You mean the _private_ school?"

"Yep."

If that was the case, then it wasn't a wonder why the road seemed unrecognizable as they were probably headed toward some big-shot mansion. With that thought at hand, Coraline noticed a large, white mass protruding just behind the trees. At first she thought it was a mountain in the distance and realized that was impossible for whatever she had been looking at was right around the corner. Sure enough when Wybie made the left at the end of the path, they were face to face with the most elegant, country home Coraline had ever seen. The house was at least three times the size of the Pink Palace and was equipped with a 7'foot iron-wrought gate with a voice box attached on the right stone pillar; it was the only thing between the two children and the massive complex.

"Hello? Wybourne, is that you?" A girl's voice muffled through like a radio signal.

"Yeah, and I brought a friend with me too."

"Oh..." The voice clocked out for a few seconds, as if thinking twice to let a stranger in her house. The silence made Coraline a tad uncomfortable.

"Is that okay?" Wybie asked uncertainly.

"Y-yeah, that's fine. But we probably won't have time to play around…"

"Oh, no she's here to help."

"Oh, alright then."

For a second time the voice snuffed out, followed by the sound of metal latches shifting in the gate. Within a few seconds the large iron doors opened inward by themselves, permitting access for the two guests. Coraline felt her stomach flutter a bit, it was like they were about to meet with someone rather important. She gradually strolled down the lengthy brick path leading to the massive white construct. The front porch reminded her of a gardening magazine cover, there were all kinds of exotic plants, broms, lady slippers, purple orchids, bleeding hearts, and plants Coraline had only seen in the fantastic garden. Her parents would have a field day with this place, and they hadn't even stepped inside yet.

While Wybie leaned his bike against the wooden railing on the front porch, Coraline marveled at the beautiful, big house that seemed even larger up front. The main entrance was a double door that arched like a harp that presented a white, wooded texture and was adorned with a stain-glass design in the center. Even the door handles seemed valuable; as they sparkled and shimmered in the sun, it wouldn't be surprising if the knobs were made from real gold.

"Jonsey, come on!"

Coraline's attention jerked back to Wybourne who was impatiently calling on her. She bounced up the small set of stairs, landing to his right. As soon as her feet touched the doormat, the golden handlebars began to twitch and twist. From the other side, the sound of multiple locks unlatching could be heard. When these sounds ceased the right doorway flung inside, introducing their hostess.

"Hey Lauren, this is Coraline. She's new here."

Lauren Reedling was as lovely as her home, superficially speaking. Her hair matched the color of her priceless doorknobs and she had a tint of color in her skin. She was wearing the private school uniform (which was much cuter, classier, and colorful than Coraline's dull grey outfit) with a pair of creamy pearl earrings. Even behind her reading glasses, Lauren's eyes were placid and mature as they fluttered up and down when she blinked.

Coraline's first idea of this "lady" was a prudish little princess with everything in the palm of her hand. _"She's probably never worked a day in her life. Then again, she seems pretty concerned about her missing brother. I wonder how her parents are taking it."_ She gave a half-hearted wave of the hand while Lauren only stood there with that melancholy expression; one you would see when you look at a stranger in the street, then turn the other way in a couple of seconds. Coraline began to feel awkward as she slowly brought her hand down, fingers curling inward bashfully.

Lauren gave a sarcastic "Uh-huh…" as if she were dissatisfied.

"Let yourselves in." She had a fancy accent like Miss Spink and Forcible that Coraline didn't notice with the interference of the speaker.

While Wybourn casually made his way indoors, Coraline stopped breathing as she placed her feet on the other side of the heavenly gates. In front of her was a massive staircase, dividing the elaborate dining room and living room. The dining room to the left reminded her of a bakery. The tabletop centered the room and was decorated with colorful desserts and sweets, from partially sliced cakes to mini-fruit tarts. The minty green walls displayed modern, abstract drawings of jazz players and ladies in fancy dresses, illuminated by the crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling. On her right was the living room, decorative yet modern. The wooden paneled floor was still shining as though it had just been buffered reflecting the Victorian furniture. Towards the back was the huge curtain set, at least as tall as the iron gates outside. Part of the garden could be seen from where Coraline was standing. A classic red brick fireplace stood out against the white walls in the corner.

"Please be sure to remove your shoes, Caroline."

"T-the name's Cora-" by the time Coraline gathered her thoughts, Lauren was halfway up the stairs, blowing off her guest completely. _"Never mind, she __**is **__a prudish princess." _

"Come on Jonsey, we're using her mother's office. It's this way." Wybie motioned his hands upward as he had already ascended a couple of steps.

Up the second floor and down the right hallway was another set of elaborate double doors entering the office. This room was no bigger than a normal sized workspace and was about as fancy as a bureau for a high school principal. There was a single springline window that made up most of the space of the back wall, featuring a beautiful view of the summer landscape.

"This is a nice place you got here, Lauren." stated Coraline, futilely trying to break the ice. Lauren only grazed over her shoulder to glance at her visitor standing awkwardly by the entryway, and then casually turned her head forward. She headed over to the mahogany desk and snagged a stack of papers and a roll of duct tape, shoved the items in her guest's hands and hurried them to the exit.

"Now, I would like for you two to go downtown and hang these about the area. Once you've done that, start handing them out to people walking down the street."

Coraline took a look at the boy in the paper while being rushed back down the stairs, ignoring Lauren's rambling. He seemed no older than four or five, just as Wybie had said. He had innocent green eyes with a little button nose and a big, dimpled smile with some missing teeth. His brown hair was almost a bowl cut, only the bangs were messy and shifted side to side. Coraline also noticed that the boy was holding a familiar black cat like a teddy bear. On that note she was lightly shoved outside of the house alongside Wybie who almost tripped on the way.

"There will be refreshments waiting when you two return. Do hurry."

Coraline attempted to turn around and ask a few questions regarding the kid on the poster, however as soon as she spun her head around all she could see was a pair of giant, white double doors. The gold knobs lightly twisted to the sound of locks clunking on the other side.


	2. Isaac

Around 5 o'clock pm, the whole downtown of Ashland was deserted, which was the least bit surprising as downtown tended to be dull and uninteresting. This grey little part of the city was the last place Coraline wanted to be on the first day of summer break. She should've just dropped everything, papers and all, and marched right on home. Or better yet she should've dropped everything, march down to Lauren's place and bop her right in the nose!

It was the least that snobby little princess deserved. While she was up in her mansion "preparing refreshments" as she called it, Coraline and Wybie were down here doing her bidding like a couple of slaves!

"If she cares so much about her brother, why doesn't she go look for him herself?" she scowled.

There wasn't even a single soul to pass out flyers to. She had spent the entirety of the afternoon taping up posters to poles and store entrances, but even after hitting every nook and cranny of the area she still had a pile of papers left over. She then thought about Wybie who had agreed to take the east side and hoped he was having better luck than she was.

Coraline began to make her way down the street to meet up with her friend while on the way she noticed a figure sitting in one of the benches. She had passed that bench several times today when it was empty, so he must've just sat down not even fifteen minutes ago. As she walked toward his direction she noticed that he was slouched over, arms propped on his legs as though he had a headache. A little closer and she noticed that he was a kid around her age, maybe a little older, though he wasn't wearing a uniform and she doesn't remember seeing him around school. Instead he had on a white coat with short sleeves and black knee high pants. He must've been awfully humid in those heavy black army boots, not to mention his face was covered by a black, oily mess of hair. He was facing downward, so he probably didn't notice when Coraline stepped in front of him until she attempted to make contact.

"Um…excuse me…"

"Wha…" was the kids only reply. He sounded like someone who just woke up from a deep sleep.

When he lifted his head, Coraline pulled back a bit as a whiff of sweat and alcohol flew past her nose. She could now see his sick face which was ridden with an ill, almost blank expression. He had ice blue eyes, pale white skin, and smelled like P.E. At first she thought he was a vampire until she noticed the perspiration flowing down his chin. Just looking at this guy made her nauseated.

"Uh…" Coraline fumbled through the papers. "Have you seen this kid?" She held out a flyer to his face, drowsy eyes attempting to focus on what was in front of him.

He tiredly grabbed the sheet of paper and examined it as if he had just been handed a pop quiz, turning and flipping it to the other side. His mouth hung open as though he had an answer to her question, instead he hurled up a pitcher of chunky fluids right on Coraline's boots. She jumped back a foot away, disgusted and frustrated. She fought the urge to look down at her feet, lest she'd wind up hurling as well.

"What is wrong with you!" She screamed at him, but the only thing he uttered was that same dumb sound-"Wha…"

The kid continued to make that brainless stare at her, with a trail of brown fluid dripping from his mouth. Combined with the sweat, his odor was unbearable.

With that, Coraline flung the remaining missing signs at the miserable kid, papers flying in all directions. Even then he seemed clueless as his head slowly tilted left and right, as if the posters where pretty little butterflies. Leaving him to wallow in his stupidity, Coraline stormed down the sidewalk, making a _squish _and a _squash _as she stomped along the way.


	3. Pursuit

As you can imagine, leaving shoes at the door was not an option once they returned to Lauren's. Not even a speck of dust was tolerated in the Reedling home, so certainly boots that had been hurled upon was out of the question. Before entering, Coraline was instructed to remove her shoes and socks to leave them on the porch (it was troublesome enough that the wood floor would now have to be buffered). She was then told to follow the narrow brick path that led around to the garden in the backyard and to have a seat in one of the iron-wrought chairs. Unsurprisingly, the flowers in the back appeared as well maintained as the ones up front, the only difference being these were all roses instead of a variety of plants, complete with a small hedge maze.

Only after having her feet hosed down and thoroughly dried and sanitized was Coraline then allowed inside, her boots and socks in the wash. She helped herself to a cup of pink lemonade and a couple of fresh baked chocolate cookies, as promised by her hostess who was preparing more flyers on her laptop. But not even warm cookies could soothe her aggravation; if dealing with Lauren's snobbish attitude wasn't enough she had been vomited on by some bum on the street. She sipped her lemonade in bitter silence.

"Hey Coraline, do you remember what this kid looked like, the one from town?" Wybie pursued despite the awkward atmosphere of the room.

"Why does it matter?" she replied sharply.

"Because he sounds familiar, say he didn't have black messy hair, pale skin and blue eyes did he?"

"And wears nothing but black in the middle of summer?" Coraline added.

"Yep, that's Isaac." confirmed Lauren. She continued to face the computer screen, barely acknowledging Coraline's presence for the first time all day.

"Who?"

"Isaac Kazagura, he's notorious for skipping the most classes than any other kid in school, along with the most police records. He was probably intoxicated."

"He seems to be someone _you_ would know." Lauren implied toward Coraline, almost scoffing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped back.

"Nothing, he just seems like someone you would get along with. You two have a bit in common, such as your inappropriate choice of clothing." The sneer in Lauren's voice wasn't quite so piercing, but she had already made a rude first impression. Even a hint of sarcasm and Coraline would be rambling on how she really felt about her 'host'.

"What's wrong with the way I dress!?" Her freckles turned red as she tried her best to hold back her irritation. She had just about enough of 'Little Miss Perfect', all day she had given her the cold shoulder and the only time Lauren seemed to recognize her new guest was when she had a chance to be insulting.

"Well if you really must know, I find it odd that you're wearing gloves at the beginning of summer."

Coraline's face went from frustrated to offended as soon as Lauren finished her sentence. Meanwhile, Wybie sunk into the reclining sofa as if to protect himself from an incoming explosion. He awkwardly sipped at the straw in his lemonade.

"Nothing personal, rather something I'm not very fond of. No need to be so impulsive Caroline." The tiny screen mirrored onto the blonde's glasses, still not bothering to even face her guest in the slightest.

"Maybe I wouldn't be so personal if you weren't such a snob!"

Lauren made an effort to swing her head around now that she had been ridiculed for a change; she displayed a stern yet confused expression on her face. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you've been acting around me ever since I got here, as if I walked all over your grave or something! I sacrificed my first day of summer just to deal with your rotten attitude and get puked on all for you and your kid brother! If you care about him so much, why don't you just go find him yourself?"

For the first time in a long while, Lauren Reedling felt her blood begin to boil. She knew she had a habit of being aloof, but it was another thing when David was brought into the mix. "You know what, maybe I will because _your _behavior is no better!"

"Fine! I'm outta here! Wybie, let's go!"

"But…" Wybourne sunk deeper into his chair, clutching his drink when Coraline snatched him up on his arm causing the lemonade to spill all over the velvet couch.

She stormed to the front set of double doors, kicked them open and stomped her way down the porch while dragging her only ride home. Lauren looked down at them from the entrance, arms crossed.

"Wybourne, please be sure not to bring her over here again."

"Oh, don't worry. I won't be back."

"Good!" She slammed the double doors inward, shaking the entire mansion.

"Rrrrrrr!" was all Coraline could manage in an effort to think up a comeback.

"Let's go, Jonsey." Wybie had already hopped on his bike and was now waiting patiently for his friend. She continued to glare at the large house as if it were an embodiment of Lauren herself. She frustratingly kicked some dirt toward it's way and plodded over to Wybie while mumbling and grumbling about. With her hands on Wybourne's shoulders, she balanced herself on the bicycle's downtube and they were gone sooner than they had arrived. The ride back home was quiet and the path that lead back to their neighborhood was now dark. The pines that were tall and graceful by day were now menacing and unwelcoming at night, but Coraline couldn't have cared less. The entire way all she thought of were better comebacks the next time she ever saw that rotten girl ever again, forgetting entirely about the boots she had left behind.


	4. Night

Coraline never had a reoccurring dream unless she was afraid. For the most part she was a bodacious soul as the Earth was faltered with surprises for such a free-spirit. Even so, she could not deny the pit of fear that conquered her. The dream was too intense. She was in an alternate version of the "Starry-Night" painting, hellish and warped. Rather than a blissful, blue hue, the sky was now a deep blood red, oozing black blotches replaced where the stars once were. The strokes of the painting moved menacingly around her like a violent river. There was no foreground, no sign of the little town or the towering tree that was featured in the original piece. It was irrelevant to Coraline for she could barely see two inches ahead due to a violent gust of wind that thrashed about as if she was inside a tornado. Instead she was held up by an invisible platform which she struggled to stand on. She squint her eyes and attempted to use her hand as a blind, a vain effort to see what was ahead. She thought she saw an outline of something way in the distance but it was impossible to tell for sure as the wind thrashed powerfully against her face.

Among the harsh blustering Coraline's ears briefly picked up an echo of someone calling out to her; a cry so weak and timid that at first she thought it was her own mind until she heard it again, barely a smidgen stronger than before. She tried listening in but it was like listening to a radio station drowning in static.

"Miss! Miss!"

It almost sounded like children, specifically the three ghost children she had met when she fought the Other Mother, or as they called her: The Beldam. As Coraline strained her eyes toward the entity far away she could barely make out three figures standing miles from where she was. She hoped to God they were her friends, at the same time she wished they would go away. No doubt if they were in this execrable chaos of a nightmare then their message was of unfortunate tidings to come.

"We don't have much time! Miss!"

Coraline struggled to move against the violent current toward the three children. She could hardly hear their little voices peeping through the thick stormy wall.

"Why are you here!?" she yelled with all the strength her lungs could bear.

"Another child has been stolen! David Reedling is in grave danger! You need to tell Lauren-"

The connection was severed; their voices were muted and Coraline couldn't hear a thing except the wind blustering in her ear. The gust evolved into a roar and she was blown off her feet like a leaf, drifting her back to reality.

When Coraline awoke, she found herself tuck deep within her sheets like a fortress. The blankets were damp from her cold sweat, her gut was in a knot and her heart was pounding in her chest.

Could it be possible that Lauren's brother wasn't just "missing", but kidnapped? It didn't make sense; she had locked the door and thrown away the key. She had taken care of all the Beldam's little minions, specifically the severed hand. What else could she have missed? Coraline glanced at her alarm clock which beamed 3:35 in bright red. _It is __**way **__too late for this…_ She shuffled herself out from underneath the layers of blankets to head downstairs for a glass of milk.

Between the grogginess and the complete darkness of the hallway, it was a miracle she didn't go tumbling down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom floor she felt around for a lamp to flick on. The table lamp was gentle on her eyes while being just bright enough to find her way to the kitchen, unlike the fridge light which burned into her eyes like a frensel lens. With one hand shielding her eyes, Coraline reached in and dragged out a gallon of milk. The weight nearly pulled her arms off but she managed to heave the carton onto the counter with only a few droplets to spare. She stood on her toes and stretched over the vanity, barely reaching the cabinets with the cups in it. Using her middle finger she could scarcely touch the tall glass that was closest to the ledge; she just managed to shuffle it into her grip. After fixing herself a drink she headed right back to bed, too tired to remember to put the milk away or close the fridge.

She was almost at the foot of the stairs when she thought she heard a squeak come from the living room. A shutter ran down her spine as she stared down the hall into inky blackness. This was the room with the little door in it; behind the little door was _HER_. But the little door was locked, Coraline made sure of the several months ago. She convinced herself it was just a mouse until the noise began to amplify. It grew from a tiny squeak to a whisper to a light sobbing. The slight uneasiness morphed into raw fear as the sobbing became a full-fledged crying. She wanted to run up to her bedroom, jump back under the sheets and convince herself that she had been dreaming but her little feet were frozen to the floor.

_**BANG! BANG! **_Now there was no doubt that Coraline was very much awake. _SHE _was slamming against the door like an animal in a cage, igniting a blood curdling shriek from Coraline as her glass crashed onto the floor. The ruckus echoed throughout the home, leaving the petrified little girl alone in the dark. Now all she could hear was her hefty breathing, followed by the sound of her parents coming down the stairs.

"Coraline, what's wrong?" Her mother's tired voice crept from over her shoulder. She didn't bother to look at her parents, not that it mattered. Coraline's disturbed condition was overlooked by the mess she had made.

"Coraline that was one of my Christmas cups, and you made a mess!"

"Uh…I-I'll clean it…" she whispered with half a soul. She could still hear the crying and the banging echoing around her head.

"No it's fine, I don't want you to get cut, just go back to bed."

"O-okay."

Coraline drifted to the stairwell. Fear had taken hold in the cockpit of her mind and all things present faded into the background. Going up the steps turned into a mountain climb as heart began to race. Her body was drenched in a cold sweat, her skin was paper white and a chill ran from her toes to the tip of the hair on her head. She didn't know what she would do if she had to face _HER_ again.

"Coraline! You forgot to put the milk away!" Her train of thought was ceased to a halt thanks to her father's nagging. She hesitated, to her going downstairs would be similar to jumping into a lion's den.

"Coraline!"

"I'm coming!"

Coraline didn't want her parents to think she was upset. The best thing was to act as rational as possible, despite the terror. She slowly paced downward, eliciting a creak step by step; once she hit the bottom she stopped dead in her tracks. Halfway there, she held her breath and fast walked down the hall. Coraline charged straight ahead without noticing her father right outside the kitchen.

"Woah, watch your step!" Charlie shuffled back as his daughter bumped into his chest. She glanced at him briefly with a couple of big brown eyes, the kind a child would make when she needed a hug. Charlie expected a half-hearted apology at the least; instead she moseyed around him toward the fridge, looking anywhere but her father.

"Hey Coraline, are you okay?"

She was in the middle of placing the milk in its rightful place, with the carton in one hand and the door handle to the fridge in the other.

"Yeah, fine. I just had a bad dream."

"Hmm, want me to go upstairs with you?"

_Yes. _

"No, that's okay."

"Alright, goodnight then."

Charlie called out, with no response from his daughter. She continued to put the milk away in silence. Coraline now had a couple of minutes to herself. She stood in front of the fridge with a grim expression as though she were standing at someone's grave. With the experience she had she knew very well that this was more than likely not a trick of her tired mind. Best case scenario; she was a schizophrenic. Coraline slumped her head against the freezer. She couldn't stand there forever; eventually she would have to make a run for it back upstairs. She peered outside the kitchen and saw her mother on one knee in front of the accursed living room, picking up pieces of broken glass. In Coraline's mind she was a guardian, like one of those stone lions that guarded the gateway to someone's home. It was easier to move her hesitant little feet across the hall, even if her fear wasn't completely quenched. She managed to shuffle toward the staircase, her mother only a foot or so to her left.

"Hey mom…"

"Yes Coraline?" Her mother croaked, still collecting the remaining shards. She sounded like she was being raised from the dead.

"Never mind, goodnight."

"Mmhm."

Coraline crawled back into bed. She curled into a ball as the whispering began to creep into her mind. Once again, the low moans turned into a child's heart wrenching sob. She vainly tried to hold back her own tears but she knew better. She knew her dream was no coincidence; she knew she wasn't just "hearing things" or "seeing things" and she knew the evil that lurked behind the walls of the living room all too well. It was now 3:41. Tonight would be along night indeed as Coraline lay awake to a chorus of cries.


	5. Bridge

"_ding, dong!"_

Coraline was abrupt by the violent ringing of her doorbell, the sound echoed in and out of her head as she tried to gather her thoughts. She tiredly turned towards her alarm clock and nearly sprinted out of bed when she read the time, 12:45 PM, fearing she would certainly be late for school. But just as she was about to have a panic attack, she remembered that today was the first day of summer.

"_ding, dong!"_

With a huff and a puff, she dragged her bones out of bed; her parents were probably at work by now. Whoever it was had best be ready for a rude greeting, the only person who was allowed to wake Coraline Jones from sleeping in was her mother and even that was like pulling teeth. Grumbling under her breath she trudged down the steps, eyes half open, blue hair a mess and not even a bite to eat yet. It was probably Mr. Bobinsky complaining about another mail mix up or Miss Spink or Miss Forcible asking if she would be interested in walking their dogs again for an allowance.

"_ding, dong!"_

"Okay! I'm coming!" She yelled halfway down the steps. _If someone rings that bell one more time, they're gonna have it! _The first floor was just dim enough for Coraline to see. Between the lack of energy and light, she could only shuffle sluggishly down the hall. Tiny shards of glass indented underneath her feet, each piece was as prominent as the last. A shutter ran down her spine. _Glass? What glass? _

"_ding, dong!"_

When Coraline yanked that door open, her mood sunk from bad to worse in less than a second. "I- " Was all Lauren could say before having the door slammed on her face. _She has some nerve, coming out here to waste my time._ But the obnoxious ringing continued throughout the flat as Coraline made her way back to her bedroom. She cringed at the sound echoing throughout the halls, knowing she would not be getting any sleep as long as she kept Lauren waiting. Again, Coraline resentfully flung her door open.

"What do you **want**?" Her irritation stung like a wasp. "Are you here to pick at the clothes I'm wearing or make fun of my hair?"

"You forgot your bloody boots." Lauren tossed a pair of dry, clean swampers at Coraline. In fact, they were so fresh that she could see the little logo at the bottom of the heel, which was usually caked in dry mud.

"Uh…thanks, I guess…how do you know where I live?"

"Wybourne told me-oh!"

Lauren jumped at the abrupt sensation of fur being brushed against her ankles. She looked down and saw a black cat had quietly followed her to Coraline's home and had taken a fancy to her, or at least it seemed so to Lauren as she wasn't fond of pets and didn't know much of them. She lightly shoved it aside with her feet. "Shoo!"

The Cat scurried along, growling under his breath. He rubbed up to Coraline who knelt down to give him a pat on the head.

"You're a sight for sore eyes."

She scooped him up in her arms and gently stroked his grimy coat. The Cat responded with a loud purr which made his tummy vibrate gently under her hand. Lauren crossed her arms with an unsatisfied _"Ahem"_.

"Oh, yeah…you're still here." Coraline uttered sarcastically.

"Yes… look Coraline, if I didn't have to be here then trust me; I would still be out looking for David…"

"By '_I_' you mean '_someone else'_, right?" Coraline intruded, leaning against the doorway and seeming uninterested in Lauren's dilemma. It was her turn to poke fun, maybe now she wouldn't behave like such a priss.

"So why _are _you here?"

"What do you think? It's about my brother."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed sarcastically. "Oh, _him _again! You honestly don't think I'm going to walk around town today, since yesterday you made it clear you didn't need my help."

"No, I just want to speak with you for a few seconds."

"Couldn't you just send one of your butlers with a note on a silver platter?"

"Coraline!" Lauren barked as stern and cross as a mother. She detested being toyed with even if she did deserve it, but now enough was enough. Soon she would have to return home, print out stacks of flyers and place them all over town herself since her mother was with the police at the moment, filling out missing forms and such, and she wasn't very fond of being home alone. Coraline stood her ground, unamused and apathetic. She exchanged glances with The Cat who had ceased purring, and was looking up at her with big, blue eyes. He meowed compassionately.

"…fine."

"Thank you. As I was saying, do you remember that kid yesterday; the one who threw up in your shoes?"

Coraline pinched the bridge of her nose; the aggravation vibrated about her body making The Cat rather uncomfortable as he squirmed in her arms "I guess, what about him?"

"Well he called yesterday as soon as you left. He said he came across my brother around this area."

"He probably didn't know what he was talking about or he's probably just screwing around."

"That's what I thought, until I did a little research; did you know three children who used to live in the Pink Palace have disappeared over the last century?"

The Cat flew out of Coraline's embrace. She struggled to block out last night's event out of her head lest she'd have an anxiety attack right at Lauren's feet. "No…not really. Is that it?"

"Almost, Isaac may be unreliable but what do you know? I mean, have you noticed anything or anyone suspicious while you've been living here?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Have you talked with your neighbors recently? Do you know of any secret little hiding places?"

"Um, well..." At first Lauren feared she may have hit a dead end, until Coraline's eyes radiated as though a light bulb had turned on in her big, blue head. "The well! Lauren, there's a well around this area near the woods!"

Lauren's eyes nearly popped out from behind her glasses. "What!? Okay you need to show me, right now, please!"

"Of course, it's this way!" Instinctively, Coraline tugged on Lauren's hand through the garden and up the path to where the well was with The Cat trotting right behind them. In a normal circumstance the two wouldn't dream of even touching each other (unless if it involved Coraline beating the blonde out of princess Reedling), holding hands would be out of the question. Now David was at stake, Lauren's thoughts were a concoction of relief and fear. For days now she had been skipping school to see if she could find any leads which all ended in vain. Quiet nights had gone by without any sleep and her mother only spoke to her whenever it was about her little brother. Maybe now she would have some closure, even though she was scared of what she would find. She squeezed back as tight as she could.


End file.
